Candle
by Firelce
Summary: The match ignites the flame, that lights the candle, that burns to ashes. A what if oneshot for Codename: Arcturus.


**I just got this idea when watching Codename: Arcturus **

**So enjoy!**

* * *

Hot flames everywhere, burning..

...

Air so thick... I can't breathe.

Burning sensations flow through my body.

I felt the impact of the scorching wall when I was tossed like a mere rag-doll across the tunnel lanes.

Red liquid drips down my cheek. I need to clear my head, I can't think straight. I could be dying, _**think**_.

Test all senses...

Touch... I run my fingers over the gravel I'm lying on. Check.

Smell... Smoke. I can smell smoke and... burning metal and flesh.

Taste... Ugh. I separate my lips, almost immediately blood rushes into my mouth accompanied by a bitter metallic taste.

I cough. "Check," I say groggily. Well, at least my hearing is working okay, but what about sight?

My eyes have been squeezed together since my abrupt landing in an attempt to lessen the searing pain in my body- I think I broke something...

You'd think being the fire ninja I wouldn't mind heat, but it is way too hot in here. I need to find somewhere cooler... but in order to do that I have to open my eyes. Shifting my eyelids slightly I see an orange hue flare up. I promptly shut them again.

I'm getting nowhere. I breath more of the stale air and lift my eyelids.

Bright orange flames are scattered around the tunnel, alongside blue. Must be from the gasoline...

My eyes skim over the scene before me. There's shards of metal strewn all over, some so big they probably wouldn't be considered a shard at all. One of those pieces is on my abdomen, constricting my lungs. I need to move it, but I don't think I can.

What am I supposed to do?

I'm alone.

I guess I should see where I'm injured...

I start by wriggling my toes.

I move up my body clenching and unclenching my muscles. So far I think my right ankle is sprained and burnt pretty bad, I have more burns up the rest of my body but they aren't as serious. My clothes are singed and mostly burnt down to ash, and my head is bleeding. Great. Just great.

I can hear a crackling sound, like static. I glare in the direction that the noise is coming from. I'm surprised when I see my sunglasses are still intact. They're trying to contact me! I scan the space around me for something I can use to reach them. There's a pole near me but it must be _really _hot... Screw it! I'll die if I don't!

I extend my arm and leave it hovering just above the metal, biting my lip I press my palm onto the pole. My hand feels like it's on fire, the heat is burning through my skin. I yelp but hold on. I bat my sunglasses over to me with the scorching pole and let go immediately. Crying, I take the glasses.

"Kai? Kai, can you hear me?"

"I can hear you Pixal." Grinning I sigh, they can get me out of here!

"KAI! Please... Kai?"

"Zane we've been trying for nearly thirty minutes, he would have answered already. He- He's... gone."

Wait, what! "Guys I'm here! Guys? I'm not dead!"

Someone's crying. Nya. She thinks I'm dead. They all do. The heat must be stuffing up the transmitter, crap.

I'm going to be stuck here...

…

Left to die... Alone.

I never got to say my last goodbye, never got to see their faces one more time.

…

I'll never hold Nya in my arms again...

How long will it take them to find my corpse?

…

The sad part is that I'm not dead... Not yet. They could have saved me... But how would they have known? All they could hear was radio silence.

I knew technology was useless. It can't save my life.

Yes. If anyone's to blame, it's technology.

* * *

It's been several hours since the explosion and the sun is setting, the wind has cleared most of the smoke away and now there are only a couple of fires burning. I've tried contacting the team now that it's colder, but the transmitter is definitely broken.

I'm wasn't disappointed though. I've already accepted that it's my time.

I guess some people just reach the end of the line too soon, due to their own mistakes. I've certainly made a lot of those...

...

But the worst part is...

…

That I'm to blame. I'm just too reckless...

I gaze at a flame a few feet away from me. Following it with my eyes as it flickers in the evening light, slowly dying.

Sensei always said 'The past is the past and the future is the future' but what if you have no future?

I hear a strange explosion. I turn my head and look down the end of the tunnel.

There, in the pink sky, is a rocket; Arcturus.

So the others weren't able to stop them...

I smile as I think about the good times we had together.

Maybe, just maybe. I'll be able to see them again... One day...

I look back at the flame. It reminds me of Nya's first birthday. She had a single candle to blow out. Mom didn't think she'd be able to do it, but she did.

I smile softly at the memory.

Close my eyes...

and blow.

* * *

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Ninjago**


End file.
